Investment. That’s all Mars was to them. It made Kelly feel sick. Holding his tongue, Kelly nodded, leaving the director to kiss ass and escort the officials to the observation room at the end of the lab. Mars stood stock-still, his expression stern and his gaze straight ahead as he was poked and prodded by several researchers. He appeared indifferent. A stone statue.

  A tall dark-haired man in a white lab coat tapped away at one of the glass interfaces.

  “Let’s begin the filtering process. Dr. Sutton, strap the specimen into the chair please.”

  Kelly motioned to the chair, but Mars didn’t move. Hesitantly, Kelly placed his hand on the small of Mars’s back, causing him to draw in a sharp breath before he moved forward. He took a seat on the chair and lay back as the biotechnicians explained to the government officials which cells they would be neutralizing.

  Couldn’t they see the pain in Mars’s eyes? The fear?

  Mars had experienced so much in his short time on this planet. How could those bastards ignore it all? How could they live with themselves knowing they were about to destroy a man’s humanity?

  Kelly leaned into Mars as he tapped the clamps shut around Mars’s wrists. “Why are you letting them do this to you? You’re stronger than all of them. You can get out of here.”

  “I want them to reprogram me,” Mars replied quietly.

  “What? Why?” How could he accept his fate so easily? With all the power inside him, how could he just lie there and surrender?

  “Because then the pain in my heart will stop, and although you may doubt its existence, it’s as real as the tears in your eyes.”

  Kelly blinked, unaware he was crying. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He quickly wiped at his face before he finished tapping the clamps shut over Mars’s ankles. He lingered by Mars’s head, his fingers itching to soothe him. “I’m sorry.”

  “We will now initiate the preliminary sequence.”

  Kelly stepped to one side near the two guards stationed by the door. This was how it had to be. The fact Mars loved him didn’t change anything. The man had been engineered. He had a greater purpose, and it wasn’t to live happily ever after with intern Kelly Sutton.

  Coward.

  No. Kelly had always avoided tough decisions and never taken any chances, always afraid of the repercussions, of getting into trouble. He’d always played it safe. Kelly glanced over at Mars and received a sad smile. Was he just going to let him die?

  Kelly let out a shaky breath and calmly turned to one of the security guards. “Excuse me, I’m really sorry, but I’m not feeling well. I think I might…” He punched the guard across the face, cursing at the pain that burst through his hand. Son of a—That freakin’ hurt! It looked so damn easy in the movies. Kelly swiped the guard’s gun and the light Taser at his side. Spinning, he pressed the button on the light Taser just as a second guard ran into it. Well, that was fortunate. The guy convulsed and hit the floor hard, landing next to his unconscious companion.

  “Sorry.” Pocketing the Taser, Kelly turned the gun on his horrified-looking coworkers. “All right, everyone on your knees. Now!”

  The startled technicians put their hands behind their heads and lowered themselves to the ground.

  “I’m so sorry. I really am. But I can’t let you do this.” He backed up and tapped the keypad beside Mars’s chair. The steel clamps opened.

  Mars sat up and took Kelly’s wrist. “What are you doing?”

  “Find us a way out of here.”

  Alarms blared through the room, emergency lights blinked, and Mars stood, his gentle eyes filled with worry. “Why are you doing this? You’re risking everything.”

  “I’m sorry for what I said. I never thought you were incapable of love. In fact, you’re the most amazing guy I’ve ever met. I’d really like the opportunity to earn that love of yours.”

  The director appeared, his face burning red with anger. “You’ve got to be bloody kidding me. What is this, a bloody BBC drama? He’s a weapon!”

  Mars let out a feral growl and grabbed the director’s collar. He lifted him off his feet. “I am not a weapon!”

  “Mars! We have to—”

  The lights in the room flickered, and Kelly heard the locks bolting shut, trapping them inside. Through the speakers, Director General Preston’s gruff voice chastised him.

  “You stupid boy. There’s nowhere for you to run. Turn yourself in, and we might consider leniency.”

  Kelly took a step back as green gas began to emerge through the vents. Shit, it couldn’t be over. Not yet. He spun to Mars who appeared unfazed by the gas that was about to knock them all out. Joining Mars at the panel by the door, Kelly watched anxiously as Mars’s amber eyes glowed blue.

  A click met Kelly’s ears, and he couldn’t help his grin. The large steel door opened, and the gas turned off. A series of panicked shouts caught his attention. The gas turned on inside the observation room, and all the government officials scrambled to the locked door. They called security, ordering the guards to break them out.

  This was his chance.

  “Stay close,” Mars ordered.

  Kelly wasn’t about to question him. He ran after Mars, but not before snatching a handheld glass tablet off one of the petrified technicians. As they hurried down the corridor, Kelly tried to access the network, but his clearance had already been revoked.

  “Shit. They cut me off.”

  Mars paused, his eyes glowing blue just before the building’s floorplans popped up on Kelly’s tablet. That whole glowing eyes thing was going to take a little time to get used to. They had a hell of a long way to go. On their way to the stairs, they ran past the bioengineering nanotech lab, and Kelly came to an abrupt halt.

  “The labs.”

  “We should go,” Mars replied, taking hold of Kelly’s wrist.

  “No, you don’t understand. We have to destroy it all. They’re going to make more of you. More soldiers who’ll become sentient and then have their humanity taken from them.”

  Mars’s eyes turned blue, and Kelly understood the implication. Before he could utter a word, Mars marched into the lab. He gritted his teeth and appeared to focus. Kelly was about to ask Mars what he was doing when the lights flickered and the equipment around the room began to pop and fizzle. The glass panel interfaces came to life, information scrolling at unreadable speeds until only the words “No files found” were displayed across all of them. As Mars walked out, anything that was of any value burst into shards of useless biotech.

  “Kelly?” Jordan’s voice came through the speaker of his tablet.

  “I’m here.”

  “The building has been evacuated. I’ve made arrangements, but you must get to St. James’s Park. You can lose yourselves in the crowd, but you have to hurry before the rest of the military reinforcements arrive.”

  “Got it.” Kelly handed the tablet to Mars. “Find us a way out of here.”

  Mars brought up the infrared feed of the building’s security, and Kelly wished he hadn’t seen what was in front of him. The whole damned army had been called in. Heavily armed soldiers flooded into the building, making their way up the elevators and stairwells. Through the speakers, an order for their apprehension was given.

  “Priority Mars. To be apprehended alive and sedated. Dr. Sutton to be apprehended dead or alive.”

  Kelly swallowed hard. “Dead?” They were going to kill him, weren’t they?

  “Kelly.” Mars took hold of his arms, his gaze hard. “I won’t let them hurt you.” He pulled Kelly along with him as they ran through the emergency exit and down the stairs. They had to find a way out of this together. He was under no illusion they wouldn’t shoot him on sight, and if they got their hands on Mars, Mars would be as good as dead.

  Chapter Nine

  It was like he was in some live version of a video game. With every door they went through, Mars would tap into the network and close another somewhere else. They ran down corridors, doors opening and closing left and right. Mars would open one while simultaneously shutting off the way to the approaching soldiers. Mars worked on their exit, doing his best to stay ahead of the ever-nearing mass of armed men. Despite his ability to dispatch the soldiers, Mars refused to hurt them. They were under orders, just as Mars had once been.

  When they reached the twenty-first floor, their luck ran out. The floor was a canteen with very few doors and only two exits, both of which were blocked.

  “There’s no way out,” Kelly said, pushing against one of the glass-paned windows. Everything was sealed shut. Even if they could go through a window, where the hell would they go? It was a straight drop down to the sidewalk. Across at St. James’s Park, hundreds of people had gathered, and it looked as if the police were having trouble containing them. Above them, the nanoparticles in the sky rolled news footage of Kelly’s supposed mental break, an unstable American intern who was attempting to unleash havoc upon the city. Why did they have to say he was American? As if that explained the crazy.

  “I found a way out. Hurry.” Mars led him to the center of the floor, the sound of battering rams slamming into fire doors resounding around them. Kelly said a quick prayer as Mars’s eyes glowed blue and he took a deep breath before crouching down to place his palms against the floor. Kelly was so not ready for whatever Mars was about to do, but they had little choice in escape routes. The thick nanoglass floor pulsed and vibrated before shattering. Kelly let out a yelp as the floor beneath his feet burst and they went crashing down onto the floor below, where Kelly landed in Mars’s arms, the air rushing from his lungs. Mars carefully stood and placed him on his feet before hurrying him to one of the exits.

  Just twenty floors to go. They were going to make it. He had no idea what the hell he was going to do once they were outside, but as long as Mars was with him, they’d figure it out.

  Mars continued his game of opening and shutting doors, his grip firmly around Kelly’s wrist. There was nowhere he turned without Kelly at his side. In the tenth-floor stairwell their exit was blocked. Mars didn’t hesitate. He jumped the rail and landed below them on the seventh floor, his heavy boots not making a sound on the tile.

  “Jump!”

  If he weren’t currently being hunted, it would have been the most terrifying moment of his life. With Mars’s reassurance, Kelly took a deep breath and jumped to the sound of gunfire. Mars caught him and placed him on his feet without missing a beat. They ran down the stairs until they reached the ground floor where Mars pulled Kelly into the security office behind the lobby. The two guards inside were hauled off their feet and flung out the door before they knew what hit them. With the reinforced nanoglass door sealed, there was no way in or out. The lobby was filled to capacity with armed soldiers. They were trapped.

  Kelly stared out the glass door, his eyes widening at the huge nanotech cage they rolled in. They were going to lock Mars up like some rabid animal.

  “There’s no way in hell I’m going to let them take you.”

  “I’m so sorry, Kelly. I got you into this, and now…” Mars pulled him close, their heads resting against each other’s.

  “Hey, I got myself into this. It was my decision, and I’m glad I made it.”

  “I promised I wouldn’t let them hurt you. I’ll get you out of this alive.” Mars put his hand to Kelly’s cheek. “Everything will be all right. Trust me.”

  His kiss was brief, but it took Kelly’s breath away.

  “Having your heart is more than I could ever have hoped for.”

  “Mars?”

  Mars’s eyes glowed blue, and he spoke, his voice booming loud and clear through the building’s speaker system. “This is Mars. I request to speak with Director General Preston.”

  General Preston emerged from behind a line of soldiers. “I’m listening.”

  Mars squared his shoulders and stepped up to the glass door, his eyes narrowed. “I will go willingly if you agree to not harm Dr. Sutton.”

  “What? Mars, you can’t do this!”

  Kelly reached out, but he wasn’t quick enough. Mars held a gun to his own head. Where the hell had he—the guards.

  Mars’s grave expression was unfaltering. “If anything happens to Dr. Sutton, I will pull this trigger. All your research will die with me. You’ll have nothing.”

  “Mars, please.” Why wouldn’t Mars listen to him? He couldn’t let him do this.

  “Agreed.” Preston held a hand up in promise. “Dr. Sutton will be safe.”

  Mars gave him a nod, the gun barrel still pressed against his temple. “I’ll remain in the office until I know he’s safe. If I see or hear that anyone has laid a hand on him or if he is hurt in any way, I won’t hesitate.”

  Kelly took hold of Mars’s hand and pleaded. “You can’t do this. You can’t trust them. We’ll find another way.” They’d come this far; they could find another option. Kelly couldn’t leave him.

  “There is no other choice.” Mars pulled Kelly into his embrace and kissed him, a kiss that shook Kelly down to his very soul. Then Mars opened the glass door and pushed him out. The door sealed shut, and Kelly slammed his fist against it,

  “No! Mars, don’t do this!” Kelly pounded against the solid nanoglass door, but his pleas were ignored. Mars placed a hand to the glass, his words quiet.

  “Dr. Skye. Please escort Dr. Sutton out of the building and get him to safety.”

  Jordan and Lucius appeared beside Kelly, their reluctance evident as they pulled him away.

  “Look after him, Jordan.” Mars smiled at Jordan as a tear escaped and rolled down Mars’s cheek. “I would like him to lead a happy, fulfilled life.”

  No. It couldn’t end this way. Kelly couldn’t let them…

  Lucius and Jordan took hold of his arms, and Jordan whispered in his ear. “Don’t let his sacrifice be in vain. You’ve given him more than any other man could.”

  Kelly allowed Jordan and Lucius to escort him to the car waiting by the curb. Numbly, he climbed into the back. The screen on the back of the driver’s seat flickered to life, and Kelly was stunned to see footage of the inside of the Society.

  “I hacked into the security feed,” Lucius declared as he climbed in behind the wheel and got them moving.

  “You’re a hacker now?”

  Lucius smiled at him in the rearview mirror. “I dabble.” His expression became somber before he turned his attention back to the road. “I’m sorry, Kelly.” As Lucius drove away from the chaos, Kelly and Jordan watched Mars step out from the security office. Kelly couldn’t believe Mars was turning himself over to them. For him.

  Soldiers cautiously approached, apprehending him the moment Mars put his hands up in surrender. They led him to the cage, his prison cell until they did who knew what to him. Preston approached Mars, along with the other two government officials. It was clear Preston was calling the shots. Kelly wished he’d been able to plant one in the smug bastard’s face. He’d have punched the screen if he weren’t afraid of losing the feed. Preston smiled, his voice clear through the car’s speakers as he addressed Mars, unaware that someone was listening in.

  “That was a very noble thing you did, but in the end, you are nothing but a weapon, a piece of biomachinery. Uncooperative citizens like Dr. Sutton and his friends will learn their place in the grand scheme of things. The world is set to change yet again.” Preston leaned into Mars, his words quiet but loud enough to send a chill through Kelly. “My men are positioned across Tower Bridge, waiting for your friend. As soon as the car he’s in is spotted, it will be eliminated. An accident due to misinformation.”

  “Lucius,” Jordan cried out as they neared Tower Bridge.

  “I heard him!” Lucius spun the wheel, and the tires screeched as they were flung in a different direction. The sound of bullets pinged against the car from every direction, and the engine roared as Lucius tried to get them away from the gunfire.

  “Go, go, go!”

  “I’m bloody trying, darling! This is New London, remember?”

  The lights throughout the city began to flicker, and Kelly put his hand to the screen. “Jordan, why is Mars glowing?” Had he done that before? Other than his eyes, Kelly had never seen Mars radiate the bluish white glow that was coming from him.

  Jordan ignored the screams of civilians launching themselves out of Lucius’s path of destructive driving to look at the screen.

  “Bloody hell. He’s initiated his defense sequence.”

  “For what?” Kelly watched as Preston, the other government officials, and the soldiers retreated slowly, their stunned gazes fixed on Mars.

  Jordan shook his head. “I fear something very unpleasant is about to occur.”

  A thundering boom brought everyone and everything to a standstill, silence blanketing the city. Kelly pushed the door open and climbed out. The nanoparticles in the sky shattered, their nanocrystals raining down like silver confetti all over the city. Kelly didn’t know what Mars was doing, but he couldn’t stand idly by. As if sensing his thoughts, Jordan grabbed hold of his arm, his eyes pleading.

  “I’m sorry. He needs me.”

  Kelly gave Jordan’s shoulder a squeeze before breaking into a run toward St. James’s Park. He pushed himself, running as fast as his legs could go, dodging panicked pedestrians, busses, and strollers. When he stopped to catch his breath by the lake, he spotted Pepper. She ran into his arms and hugged him.

  “What happened?” he asked her.

  “Some of the men managed to escape before the blast went off. The rest were knocked out. Oh my God, Kelly.” She pulled back and looked up at him, her big eyes filled with worry. “Lucius told me everything. I can’t believe all this time… Mars is human.”

  “And he’s in trouble. I have to find him. Have you seen him? Is he still inside?”

  “I think so. Someone would have noticed if he’d come out. It’s possible he could have been caught in his own outburst if he didn’t initialize his protective protocol.”